Lock-controlled lever-locking mechanism.



G. c. JENSEN.

LOCK CONTROLLED LEVER LOCKING MECHANISM.

' Patented May 7,1918.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 21. 1917.

IN V EN TOR.

WITNESS;

f flww BY I ATTORNEYS.

enonen c. JENSEN, or OAKLAND, CALIFORNIA.-

'LOCK-GONTBOLLED LEVER-LOCKING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May '7, 1918.

Application filed May 21, 1917. Serial No. 169,902.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE C. JENSEN,

- a citizen of the United States, residing at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Look- Controlled Lever -.Locking Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to improvements in looking devices for gear shift levers of motor vehicles and more particularly to a construction capable of incorporation with any of the well known types of levers fulcrumed for universal movement and now commonly in use, and by the use of which the lever may be locked from movement when in neutral position, thereby preventing the engagement of the shifta-ble gears and precluding the car or vehicle from being operated under its own power.

The invention'consists broadly in providing a rotatable lever locking member passing through the lever and capable of movement to one position to prevent the swinging of the lever on its fulcrum, and when in another position to permit free move ment of the lever on said fulcrum, and to employ in connection with said shaft a key controlled means for locking the same from movement.

With the above mentioned and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction and combination of parts hereinafter described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the form, proportion, size and minor details of construction within the scope of the claims may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

To more fully comprehend the invention, reference is directed to the accompanying drawings, wherein-] Y Figure 1 is a view in elevation, partly in Section, of the preferred embodiment of my invention, illustrating the locking shaft passing through the fulcrum and in a position to permit of operative movement of the lever.

Fig. 2 is a view in side elevation. Fig-3' is a sectional view taken on line 33 of Fig, 1. Fig. 4. is a sectional view taken on line ll of Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 4 but with the locking shaft rotated to a position to lock the lever from move ment.

Referring more particularly to the several views of the drawings, wherein like characters of reference designate corresponding parts,1 indicates a tubular casing adapted for attachment to the usual housing for inclosing the shiftable gear members of a variable speed vehicle transmission mechanism, and through said housing extends the gear shifting lever 2 adapted for operative movement in two vertical planes parallel to each other, and for selective movement in a plane transverse to said planes of operative movement. The lower end 3 of said lever, when the same is in its plane of selective movement, lies within a cutout at in a suitable guide 5, it being necessary for the lower end of said lever to pass through said cutout prior to engaging the respective gears before the same are shifted. The lever is formed with a substantially spherical portion 6 resting in a socket 7 providing a fulcrum therefor, it being retained therein by an annular plate 8 held in position on top of the casing by the screws 9.

' The spherical portion 6 of the lever is formed with a transverse bore 10 therethrough, the bore being substantially rectangular in cross section, and passing through said bore is a locking shaft or member 11 rotatzibly supported at its opposite ends, as at 12, within the upper end of the housing.

Cooperating with the outer end of said shaft- 11 is a locking barrel 13 positioned in line therewith and connected thereto by a suitable pin 14:. In the form illustrated, the barrel is preferably of the key controlled type, and when rotated to rotate the shaft 11 to operative position is retained in said position by the locking pins 15.

lVithin the confines of the spherical portion 6 of the lever the locking shaft 11 is formed on opposite sides with flat tapering surfaces 16 which converge toward the bearing ends of saicLshaft 6, providing a portion of the shaft which is narrow ad acent.the

outer edges of said spherical portion and is thickest through its center. This permits of or selective movement it plane end 3 tiereoi in the recess -.l-, it may ice accoinplisl d by i mg the shalt i; oneie a quarter turn to POSMIOTU the uncut portion 1? thereof at the upper and lovver edges 0 t transverse bore 10. The shaft ll is limit ir its rotation by the adjusting screvv passing upwardly through the interior the portion 12 for cooperating vvith the bolt,

as in ig. 3. i

It vvill be apparent that by providing the rotating loclting shat't ii and incorporating in connection therewith a controlling means capable of being looked, that on one position of said shattniovement oi the lever is permitted, and on the movement ot' the shaft to anoth r position the lever is locked from movement and is in its neutral position.

From the alcove construction it vvill be readily understood that vvhen the bolt ll is rotated to a position as in l and i at the drawings, the surfaces tliereor adjacent the periphery' of spaced "from the upper and lovver the opening 10 tnereot' the spherical portion 6 are Walls of permitting of a side motion of the ever. l Jhen is desired to loch the lever n selective movement, a controlling lie -3, not shovvn. may be inserted to release the tumblers 15 to tion the bolt 11 to a posi- M Fig. at which. time tne solid portions or said hol are in Contact ivith the upper and lovver iva'ls of the opening 10 and prevent lateral movement ct said lever.

lldYlllE thus lSSCJlGQCl my invention, what desire to protect by Letclaim nevv and ters Patent is l. combination with a lever fulcruined Within its length for universal swinging movement and provided at its fulcrum point vvith an open ended bore, a guide verselv through vvnich the lower end or said lever pass s vvhen lateral movement is imarted thereto, a rotatable holt extending irough said here and capable of rotative novement to engage the upper and lower surfaces of opposing ends said core to loclr the lever oni lateral in vement *ith the lower end thereoi -\vithin said guide, and loclr cont-rolled means for retaining said bolt in said position.

In comhin:

ion with a lever falcruined n for operative movement rallel pe "pendicular to each nd tor sieciive iii-oveinent in plane I l planes of operative moveovided in its fulcrum w th transverse a guide aid lever plane of mounted bot;

through said bore and vvl in one position 3. combination With a lever providfi at its fulcrum portion vvith a transverse bore, a tubular support through Which the lever passes and which provides a fulcrum for the same Within its length, a locking bolt projecting through said transverse bore and rotatably mounted in said support, said bolt recessed on opposite sides to permit of movement of said lever on its fulcrum and capshie of rotation to engage the opposite face or one end of said bore to lock said lever from operative movement, and lock controlled means associated therewith.

in combination with a lever formed Within its length with a spherical portion, a soclret for receiving' said portion and providing a fulcrum therefor, said lever provided with a transverse opening through said spherical portion, a locking bolt rota.- tably supported by the Wall of said socketand projecting through said opening, said bolt provided on its surface With recesses to permit of the movement of said lever on its fulcrum, and capable of rotation to engage the opposing; Walls of said opening to loclr said lever from movement, and lock controlled means cooperating With said ho 5. In combination with a lever fulcrumed Within its length for universal stringing movement and formed at its fulcrum point with a transverse bore, a rotatable loolt projectinp" into the said bore in said lever and provided on opposite faces with a recess, said bolt capable oi rotativ-e movement to cause the depressions in the surface thereof to lie in spaced relation to opposite sides of the Wall of said bore to permit of movement of the lever on its fulcrum and movement to another position to cause the surface thereof to contact with the opposite walls orsaid opening to lock said lever from operative movement, and lcclr controlled means for said bolt.

in combination with a tulcrunied lever provided its fulcrum portion With an open ended transversely extending core, a locking holt extending throu 'h said here, he cross sectiona area oi opposite ends ct said colt one plane being less than the bore through which it passes and in another plane at angle to l ne being substantially equal to t we cross sectional area of said bore, .said locking bolt cape ole rotative mo ement to positiontle SllliflCB thereol oi e i u i area to contact with the surface of said bore lock the lever movement and ror movement to position the surface thereof of less cross sectional area in spaced relation to the surface of said'bore to permit of operative movement of said lever, and lock controlled means for locking said bolt.

7. In combination with a fulcrumed lever provided transversely of its fulcrum point with an open ended bore, a locking bolt of different cross sectional area throughout its 10 length extending through said bore and movable therein, said bolt adapted when lying in one posit-ion Within said bore to engage the upper andlower faces of the opposite ends of the same to prevent lateral movement of the lever on its fulcrum and when in another position to lie in spaced relation to the upper and lower faces of the opposite ends of said bore to permit of lateral movement of said lever.

8. In combination with a lever fulcrumed within its length for universal swinging movement and provided at its fulcrum point with a bore, a guide transversely through which the lower end of said lever passes when lateral movement is imparted thereto, a rotatable bolt extending into said bore, the cross sectional area of said bolt being difi'erent throughout its length, said bolt capable of rotative movement to position the portion thereof of greater cross sectional area to engage the surface of one end of said bore to lock the lever from lateral movement With the lower end thereof Within said guide, and lock controlled means for retaining said bolt in said position.

Intestimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in the presence of a subscribing Witness.

GEORGE C. JENSEN.

Witness D. B. RICHARDS. 

